Sapper Vernon Randall was born and grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, one of three children of Joe and Sarah Randall. He reported for duty at the 12th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers on 6 September 1939 and enlisted the following day. He gave his civilian trade as truck driver with experience in coal mining in Drumheller, Alberta where he worked for four years before returning to Winnipeg. He had served in the 2nd Armoured Car Regiment from 1936 until he enlisted in the Canadian Active Service Force.
Vernon was married and had two daughters when he arrived in England on 9 February 1940. The company was stationed in Balcombe in England and were initially involved in works projects including the construction of accommodations and camps across the country. Vernon’s training included a number of exercises including combined arms training in Scotland. He continued his sapper training and in April he qualified and drew trades pay as a Pioneer Group ‘C’. In November 1943, he was posted from the 12th Field Company to the 11th Field Company.
The main body of the 11th Field Company arrived in France on 9 July as part of 2nd Canadian Division Engineers. They participated fully in all operations during the Battle of Normandy and the advance across the Seine and through the clearing of the Channel Ports, clearing routes and building bridges. In late September, they finished their bridging tasks in the Boulogne area on the English Channel and moved inland to the area just south of Antwerp in Belgium.
The Battle of the Scheldt officially began on 2 October 1944 when the 2nd Canadian Division crossed the Antwerp-Turnhout Canal to clear the Beveland approaches. For the RCE, the Battle of the Scheldt started a few days earlier. On the night of 30 September, the Number 3 Platoon struggled under fire to build an 80-foot Class 40 bridge across the canal just west of a weakened bridge built the night before by the 7th Field Company near Lockenberg. The task was costly when a direct hit on the bank seat party early on 1 October, killed two and wounded fourothers. Continued mortaring slowed the work during the day, but the bridge was open to traffic before the evening.
The following day, in support of the 6th Brigade, Number 2 Platoon was tasked to build another Class 40 bridge over the canal. The work was also costly. S-mines at the site killed Sapper Randall and wounded two others, including the Platoon Commander who was replaced with an officer from the 7th Field Company. Later in the day, two more men were killed when they drove a stake into a deeply buried mine.
Sapper Vernon Randall is buried in Schoonselhof Cemetery near Antwerp. He was 36 years old.
Return to Part 5: Tributes to the Fallen Sappers of the Scheldt
